Famous People Born In 1853

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter and is said to be one of the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. However, he was not commercially successful in his lifetime and died by suicide at 37 after years of mental health issues and poverty. He gained recognition and respect in the 20th century.

Son of Spanish immigrants, Jose Marti spent his childhood in a strife-torn Cuba and attended high school on financial aid. Marti’s poems, essays, and articles were laced with his patriotic vigor to free Cuba from the Spanish rule. He died battling on the field at Dos Ríos.

Bat Masterson was a lawman and professional gambler known for his exploits in the late 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was known for his hunting skills and earned fame as a gunfighter. Later in his life, he became a reporter and columnist for The Morning Telegraph and gained popularity as a leading sports writer.

Chulalongkorn reigned as the king of Siam from 1868 until his death in 1910. Nicknamed the Royal Buddha, Chulalongkorn's reign witnessed the modernization of Siam; several social and governmental reforms marked his reign. Since the reforms ensured Siam's survival despite Western colonialism, Chulalongkorn earned the title, the Great Beloved King.

Stanford White was an American architect who designed several important monuments including the Washington Square Arch. He also helped construct Nikola Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower, which happens to be his last design. Although White was an influential and prominent designer of his time, he is best remembered for his illicit relationship with Evelyn Nesbit which has inspired several works of art.

Nobel Prize-winning Dutch physicist Hendrik Lorentz, a major figure of the Second Dutch Golden Age, is remembered for his discovery of the Zeeman effect, along with his former student Pieter Zeeman, who shared the Nobel with Lorentz. His research on electromagnetic radiation prepared ground for Einstein’s special theory of relativity.

Alva Belmont was an American socialite who played a major role in the women's suffrage movement in the United States of America. Remembered for her intelligence, energy, and strong opinions, Belmont is credited with founding the Political Equality League which aimed at promoting suffrage-supporting politicians. Alva Belmont is also credited with co-founding the National Woman's Party in 1916.

Hans Christian Gram was a Danish bacteriologist best remembered for developing a technique called Gram stain, which is still used today to classify bacteria. He achieved international recognition after developing the Gram stain technique. Hans Christian Gram also served as a professor at the University of Copenhagen.

Wilhelm Ostwald was a Baltic German philosopher and chemist who is credited with co-founding the field of physical chemistry. A polymath, Ostwald made significant contributions to philosophy, art, and politics, especially after his retirement from academic life. His contributions to the fields of reaction velocities, chemical equilibria, and catalysis earned him the 1909 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes is best remembered for his discovery of superconductivity and his research on low-temperature physics, which eventually led to the liquefaction of helium. He is also said to have coined the term enthalpy. The Kamerlingh Onnes Award, named after him, honors achievements in low-temperature science.

Teresa Carreno was a Venezuelan composer, conductor, and pianist. During the course of her illustrious career, which spanned more than 50 years, Carreno achieved international popularity as a virtuoso pianist and was nicknamed the Valkyrie of the Piano. Carreno is also credited with teaching pianists like Edward MacDowell, who went on to become a popular pianist in his own right.

Albrecht Kossel was a German biochemist whose work in ascertaining nucleic acids' chemical composition earned him the prestigious Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1910. Kossel is also remembered for conducting prominent research into protein's composition. His work influenced several other important researchers like Henry Drysdale Dakin, Edwin B. Hart, Friedrich Miescher, and Felix Hoppe-Seyler.

Part of the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th century, Swedish painter Carl Larsson is best remembered for his iconic painting Midvinterblot, or Midwinter Sacrifice. Born to a poor casual laborer, he had a tough childhood and began working as an illustrator at age 18.

José Santos Zelaya was a Nicaraguan political figure best remembered for his service as the President of Nicaragua from 1893 to 1909. During his presidency, Zelaya enacted many progressive programs, such as established steam ship lines and improved railroads and public education. José Santos Zelaya also enacted a number of constitutional rights.

Austrian philosopher Alexius Meinong is best remembered for his work on the theory of values and the theory of objects. He introduced four classes of objects and penned the iconic work Über Annahmen, discussing the assumptions people make when they decide if they know or don’t know about something.

Pierre Paul Emile Roux was a French bacteriologist, physician, and immunologist. A close collaborator of Louis Pasteur, Roux was responsible for the Pasteur Institute's production of the famous anti-diphtheria serum. Credited with founding the field of immunology, Pierre Paul Emile Roux also investigated chicken-cholera, cholera, tuberculosis, and rabies. He was honored with the prestigious Copley Medal in 1917.

Most renowned for his short novel The Blind Musician, Russian author and journalist Vladimir Korolenko was known for his depiction of the plight of the disadvantaged sections of society. In his early days, his revolutionary activities got him expelled from two colleges. Makar’s Dream remains one of his best-known stories.

German explorer Hermann Wissmann is remembered for his pioneering expedition to the upper Congo basin. His studies were instrumental in Germany setting up colonies in East Africa. Part of the German Army, he also served as the imperial commissioner for East Africa. The forces under his command were known as Wissmanntruppe.

Legendary Malaysian peasant rebellion leader Muhammad Hasan was known as Tok Janggut because of his long white beard. He led a strong anti-colonial movement of about 2,000 farmers against the British and also led a tax boycott. He eventually died in an attack and became a martyr of the struggle.

Henri-Alexandre Deslandres was a French astronomer who served as the director of the Meudon Observatory. From 1907 to 1909, he also served as the president of the popular French astronomical society, the Société Astronomique de France. In 1921, he was honored with the Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal.